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United States President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping held their first meeting as heads of state on Monday, November 14. It is an attempt to reduce tensions between the two powers, in the run-up to the G20 summit taking place in Bali, Indonesia. The situation on the island of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own, Russia’s war in Ukraine and nuclear threats from Moscow are at the forefront of the talks.
China and the United States, two powers seeking to smooth out differences as they compete amid growing economic and security tensions.
US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first face-to-face this Monday, November 14, since the leader of the White House took office nearly two years ago.
Washington and Beijing should “take history as a mirror and let it guide the future,” Xi said during the meeting, quoted by the state news agency Xinhua.
The Chinese president’s statements come at a time when relations between the two countries are at their lowest point in decades, clouded by disagreements on a series of issues such as trade and the autonomy of the island of Taiwan, which the government Chinese claims as its own.
🇨🇳🤝🇺🇸 China’s President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden shake hands ahead of the G20 summit in Indonesia where the pair will hold their first in-person talks.pic.twitter.com/f8PNlsHhOt
— TLDR News Global (@TLDRNewsGlobal) November 14, 2022
Biden asked his Chinese counterpart to join efforts to prevent the rivalry between the two powers from leading to a conflict.
“As leaders of our two nations, we share a responsibility, in my opinion, to show that China and the United States can manage our differences, prevent competition from escalating into anything close to conflict, and find ways to work together on pressing global issues.” that require our mutual cooperation,” the White House leader said.
In this sense, President Xi Jinping called for a sincere and open dialogue. “I am ready to have a frank and in-depth conversation on the issues of strategic importance to the China-US relationship on all issues of global and regional importance,” Xi said.
Monday’s meeting is unlikely to produce a joint statement, the White House said.
Taiwan, Ukraine and trade, at the center of the rivalry between Washington and Beijing
Xi and Biden met in the prelude to the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, which begins on Tuesday, November 15 and will be charged with tension due to the invasion of Ukrainian territory, ordered by Vladimir Putin, a president who has been more close to the Asian giant, in recent years.
United by their shared mistrust of the West, Xi and Putin even reaffirmed their partnership just days before Moscow launched war against their neighboring country. Beijing has largely refrained from publicly blaming Russian hostilities, but has instead opted for direct support for Moscow such as arms supplies, something that could trigger Western sanctions against it.
Russia’s nuclear threats are also among the main issues that the two governments seek to cover from this rapprochement.
The West has accused Moscow of making irresponsible statements about the possible use of atomic weapons in the midst of the ongoing conflict. Russia, in turn, countered that Western nations are fueling “provocative” nuclear rhetoric.
In addition, Washington and Beijing have recently increased their clashes over the status of Taiwan.
The autonomous island has become one of the most controversial issues between the United States and China. Under his presidency, Biden has said that his country would defend that territory, which Beijing is considering for eventual unification, in the event of an invasion.
Tensions rose further when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan last August, prompting the Xi Jinping government to retaliate with military exercises and the launch of ballistic missiles into nearby waters.
The two world powers are also at odds on issues ranging from international trade to human rights.
Proof of this is that the Biden Administration blocked exports of advanced computer chips to China last month, a national security measure that strengthens US competition against Beijing, but was quickly condemned by Chinese officials.
As president, Biden has repeatedly rebuked China for human rights abuses against the Uyghur people and other ethnic minorities, its crackdown on democracy activists in Hong Kong, and coercive trade practices.
Given the range of disagreements, Xi said that he hoped that together with Biden “they would chart the right course for the relationship between China and the United States” and that he was prepared for a “sincere and profound exchange of views.”
Meanwhile, White House advisers have repeatedly tried to downplay any notion of conflict between the two nations, emphasizing that they believe the two nations can work on shared challenges like climate change and health security in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Covid-19.
But relations have grown more tense under successive US administrations, as economic, trade, human rights and security differences have come to the fore.
With Reuters, AP and EFE
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